CGPSC Civil Judge Exam Pattern 2026: Stages, Marks and Time

The CGPSC Civil Judge exam pattern has three stages: a preliminary screening test, a written main examination and an interview. Only the main exam and the interview decide your final rank. That single fact should shape how you divide your preparation time.

The figures on this page come from the pattern reported for the 2024 cycle, which ran from the December 2024 advertisement to a result in early 2026. The commission can revise the scheme in a new advertisement, so use this page to plan and confirm every number on psc.cg.gov.in when the next advertisement appears.

Table of Contents

Exam pattern at a glance

Preliminary exam pattern

The prelims covers the Constitution, civil and criminal laws, evidence and a set of Chhattisgarh Acts.

Shortlisting for the main exam

Candidates are shortlisted in order of merit, in a ratio of about ten times the number of vacancies, with category-wise lists. In the 2024 cycle, 661 candidates were reported as shortlisted for 57 posts. Prelims marks are used only to prepare this list and are not added to the final merit.

Main exam pattern

The main exam is conventional and written. It tests whether you can do the work of a judge on paper: frame the questions, weigh the evidence and reach reasoned findings.

The total duration has been reported as 3 hours. The advertisement or admit card will confirm whether the components are sat as separate papers and how the time is split. Until then, use the practice split suggested in the time management section below.

Interview

The interview is out of 15 marks. In the scheme reported for earlier cycles, candidates are called for it in a multiple of the number of vacancies, based on main exam marks. A minimum qualifying score applies: 33 percent for the unreserved category and 25 percent for reserved categories. These are reported figures, so check how the current advertisement states the rule.

Final merit calculation

Final merit is the main exam score plus the interview score, out of 115. Prelims marks do not enter the total.

The last column is only an example of the arithmetic, not a target or a past cut-off.

What the pattern means for you

• Mains is close to 87 percent of the merit marks: 100 of 115 marks come from the main exam, so a strong prelims score earns nothing extra once you are through.

• Judgment writing is 80 percent of the main exam: The civil and criminal judgments together are worth 80 of 100 marks. A week with no writing practice is a week lost on the biggest section.

• Translation is cheap marks if you practise: It is worth 20 marks and does not need new knowledge, only daily practice and a vocabulary of legal terms.

• One mark per prelims question means no room for guessing wildly: If negative marking applies in your cycle, attempt only the questions where you can eliminate at least two options.

• The interview can move your rank: Fifteen marks is small, but ranks in the final list can be close, so prepare for it instead of leaving it to the last week.

Time management

In the prelims

You have 120 minutes for 100 questions, roughly 72 seconds each. Take a first pass through the whole paper to answer every question you know, mark the doubtful ones and return to them in the last 20 minutes. Statute-based questions are usually quicker if you know the section; do not spend two minutes on a question you will not recall.

In the main exam

If the total is 3 hours, a practical split for practice is given below. Treat it as a training plan, and adjust once the official timing is known.

Write the framework first in each judgment: issues or charges, then findings, then the operative order. A clear structure earns marks even if you run short of time on the last issue.

To build speed in the objective round, you can practise CGPSC Civil Judge timed mock tests on Testkart and compare your section-wise accuracy over several attempts.

Older pages and where to verify

Some pages still show an older scheme or mix details from other states' judicial services. Follow the official advertisement if any page, including this one, differs from it. The recruitment section of the commission's website is the only place where the final scheme, dates and the paper-wise timing are confirmed.